A fuel CELL is a device configured to generate electrical energy from hydrogen and oxygen and achieves high power generation efficiency. The main features of fuel cell are as follows. Since electricity is directly generated without thermal or kinetic energy processes such as in the case of previous power generation methods, high power generation efficiency can be expected even from a small-scale plant. Moreover, fuel cell are environmentally friendly since they discharge less nitrogen compounds and the like and make less noise and vibration. In sum, fuel cell can effectively use the chemical energy of the fuel and offer environmental advantages. Thus, fuel cell are expected to become an energy supply system for the 21st century and are gathering much attention as a novel, prospective power generating system that can be used in various applications ranging from space use to automobile use and portable device use and from large-scale power generation to small-scale power generation. Technical development toward practical implementation is now in full swing.
In particular, polymer electrolyte fuel cell have low operating temperature compared to other types of fuel cell and feature high output densities. In recent years, polymer electrolyte fuel cell are expected to be used as power sources for portable devices (such as cellular phones, laptop personal computers, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, electronic dictionaries, and electronic books). One example of polymer electrolyte fuel cell for potable devices is a flat arrangement-type fuel CELL that includes a number of single cells in a flat arrangement.
As the size of portable devices becomes smaller and the output density increasingly higher, there arises a growing need for high integration of cells of fuel cell for portable devices. In order to achieve higher integration of cells, the number of cells needs to be increased and the miniaturization of the cell structures and other structures such as interconnectors and gaps between the cells is needed. Because the cells are to be highly integrated, it becomes difficult to individually fabricate cells in producing a fuel CELL. Thus, currently, a technique of first forming an anode and a cathode that extend across electrolyte membranes of a plurality of sections and then removing specific regions of the anode and cathode by laser processing to form individual cells is now being implemented.